QUERNMORE

 SHORT but SWEET    3 (?)  Miles

SWEETHEARTS 😲  Vic, John, Anthony 

                                     Martin, Mike, Danny

The rather obscure little car park was perhaps rather better known than we thought as it was already half full when we arrived.

The weather forecast was good so, with frost in the air and blue skies overhead, we set off.

OOPS !  Either we are not welcome here or somebody's already lost two keys.

No matter .   The five barred gate was locked but the "Kissing Gate" let us through.

We immediately found ourselves on a most unusual footpath which for a large portion of it's length resembled a neatly mown lawn.

The winter sun was bright but wherever there were still shadows  the ground was white with frost. To our right were the fell footpaths leading up to Clougha Pike.  A superb walk but not for us today

  

As always on our elderly ramble, coffee breaks are compulsory.

 With a rocky edge ahead of us seating looked possible .

Whilst most of us walked through a gap in the rocky cleft, Danny (as suggested ) searched the rocks for comfortable seating. As you can see, comfortable situations did not easily present themselves.

Danny eventually found a comfortable spot to take his coffee break (I THINK)

Others found their own rock seats to imbibe.   Martin seems to have dropped 5p as he searched in  his rucksack. He insisted on lifting the rock to retrieve it !!!!!

As we continued to follow the splendid footpath we encountered one or two tricky bits (Rocky and Icy.  We also saw some unusual footprints. ( Anyone enlighten us?)

As we walk we all,  perhaps, have our own "Bete Noir".  For me it is heights. I find them terrifying. For others stiles present quite an obstacle. Our next stretch of the walk brought us both.

Approaching  awkward stiles at each end of what we could only think was an aqueduct.

Beyond the railings a 40/50 foot drop into a deep ravine.

The path continued with interest and superb views on either side.

Our next stile posed an even more difficult challenge. impossible actually.

No ! Not impossible. Five yards to the right was a wide open gate.

From here the track steeply dropped down to a rather chilly looking ford.

Fortunately there was a bridge

Two bridges in fact. A couple of brave souls did cross by the ford.

Lunchtime, This is a moveable feast ( in reality ?) dictated by "Time" and availability of seating.    as both criteria were being met here  ...... we dined.

This rather miniscule stream is actually the headwater of the "Mighty Conder" which empties itself into the sea at Glasson, having hardly grown much bigger !

You may notice that there is a mist or steam above the little bridge which was rising from the ground as the sun warmed it.

The far side of the stream was still largely in the shade and was still a frosty white compared to the green on the side where we were sitting.

Lunch over we climbed out of the Conder Valley to meet up with the "Littledale Road" as it made it's way through a supremely pretty area.

The area was VERY quiet. Only one , possibly two cars, passed us in the next 45 minutes. The area was by no means flat but the road only rose  a short distance each time before dropping down again or levelling out.

Delightful Autumnal colours abounded. (Can you see the Meanderthals in this shot ?)

As we returned down this lovely lane the footpath we had followed on our outward journey was just across the fields . There's the rocky outcrop that Danny had scaled earlier in the day.

Nearly back to the cars now but still time for Danny to take a photo of a Longhorn cow in the roadside field.

The low winter sun has a tendency to wash colours out of some shots.

And of course photos cannot record the amount of laughter and amusement we enjoy together on each weeks walks.

 A grand short walk in good company. Thanks everybody !

THE END

JW